Why should you read “Dune” by Frank Herbert? - Dan Kwartler
-
0:07 - 0:10A mother and her son trek
across an endless desert. -
0:10 - 0:15Wearing special skin-tight suits
to dissipate heat and recycle moisture, -
0:15 - 0:18the travelers aren’t worried
about dying of thirst. -
0:18 - 0:20Their fears are much greater.
-
0:20 - 0:22The pair try to walk without rhythm,
-
0:22 - 0:27letting the vibrations of their footsteps
blend into the shifting sands. -
0:27 - 0:31But soon, the sound of the desert
is drowned out by a louder hissing. -
0:31 - 0:34As a mound of sand races towards them,
-
0:34 - 0:37the pair’s unnatural gait
turns into a sprint. -
0:37 - 0:40The two clamber into a nearby rock face,
-
0:40 - 0:45as a sandworm 400 meters long
bursts from the desert floor. -
0:45 - 0:48This is the world of "Dune."
-
0:48 - 0:52Written by Frank Herbert
and published in 1965, -
0:52 - 0:55"Dune" takes place
in a far-flung future, -
0:55 - 0:59where humanity rules the stars
in a giant feudal empire. -
0:59 - 1:02This medieval motif goes beyond
just the government. -
1:02 - 1:04Unlike most interstellar sci-fi,
-
1:04 - 1:08Herbert's humans conquered
the stars without any computers. -
1:08 - 1:10Following an ancient war with robots,
-
1:10 - 1:14humanity has forbidden
the construction of any machine -
1:14 - 1:16“in the likeness of a human mind.”
-
1:16 - 1:19But rather than stifling their expansion,
-
1:19 - 1:22this edict forced humans
to evolve in startling ways— -
1:22 - 1:28becoming biological computers, psychic
witches, and prescient space pilots. -
1:28 - 1:30Members of these super-powered factions
-
1:30 - 1:34are regularly employed
by various noble houses, -
1:34 - 1:39all competing for power and new planets
to add to their kingdoms. -
1:39 - 1:44But almost all these superhuman skills
rely on the same precious resource: -
1:44 - 1:46the spice.
-
1:46 - 1:52This mystical crop also known as “melange”
is essential for all space travel, -
1:52 - 1:54making it the cornerstone
of the galactic economy. -
1:54 - 1:58And it only grows
on the desert planet Arrakis, -
1:58 - 2:02a dangerous and inhospitable world
whose native inhabitants -
2:02 - 2:05have long rebelled against the empire.
-
2:05 - 2:09Arrakis, also called Dune,
is the setting for Herbert’s novel, -
2:09 - 2:13which follows Paul
of the noble House Atreides. -
2:13 - 2:17The book begins with Paul’s family
being assigned control of Dune -
2:17 - 2:20as part of an elaborate plot
by their sworn enemies: -
2:20 - 2:24the sadistic slave drivers
of House Harkonnen. -
2:24 - 2:29The conflict between these houses upends
the delicate political balance on Arrakis. -
2:29 - 2:33Soon, Paul is catapulted
into the middle of a planetary revolution, -
2:33 - 2:37where he must prove himself capable
of leading— and surviving— -
2:37 - 2:40on this hostile desert world.
-
2:40 - 2:43But Arrakis is not simply
an endless sea of sand. -
2:43 - 2:46Herbert was an avid environmentalist,
-
2:46 - 2:50who spent over five years creating
Dune’s complex ecosystem. -
2:50 - 2:53The planet is checkered with climate
belts and wind tunnels -
2:53 - 2:55that have shaped its rocky topography.
-
2:55 - 2:58Different temperate zones produce
varying desert flora. -
2:58 - 3:02And almost every element of Dune’s
ecosystem works together -
3:02 - 3:05to produce the planet’s essential export.
-
3:05 - 3:11Herbert’s world building also includes
a rich web of philosophy and religion. -
3:11 - 3:14Paul’s mother Jessica, is a member
of the Bene Gesserit, -
3:14 - 3:17an ancient cult
of spice-assisted psychics. -
3:17 - 3:20Sometimes called “witches”
for their mysterious powers, -
3:20 - 3:24the Bene Gesserit have operated
as a shadow government for millennia -
3:24 - 3:28in an effort to guide society
towards enlightenment. -
3:28 - 3:31Similarly ancient are the Mentats—
-
3:31 - 3:35human computers capable
of processing incredible amounts of data. -
3:35 - 3:38While the Mentats are bastions
of logic and reason, -
3:38 - 3:40their results are not mere calculations,
-
3:40 - 3:44but rather, streams of constantly
shifting possibilities. -
3:44 - 3:48However, no group is more central
to "Dune" than the Fremen. -
3:48 - 3:53Natives of Arrakis, they are the keepers
of the planet’s many secrets. -
3:53 - 3:57Paul’s journey takes him deep
into the Fremen’s exclusive brotherhood, -
3:57 - 3:59where he must prove himself trustworthy
-
3:59 - 4:02in a series of increasingly
deadly challenges. -
4:02 - 4:05All these factions have deep histories
that pervade the text, -
4:05 - 4:10and Herbert also incorporates that
sense of scale into the book’s structure. -
4:10 - 4:13Each chapter begins with a quote
from a future history book, -
4:13 - 4:17recalling elements of the events
that are about to unfold. -
4:17 - 4:20The book also contains in-universe
appendices -
4:20 - 4:23that further explore the Empire’s history;
-
4:23 - 4:27alongside a glossary of words like
“Gom jabbar” and “Shai-Hulud." -
4:27 - 4:34Dune’s epic story continues to unfold
over a six-book saga that spans millennia. -
4:34 - 4:37But every story of Arrakis’
future begins here: -
4:37 - 4:41as Paul pursues a path
that is dangerous, demanding, -
4:41 - 4:46and always on the verge of being
consumed by the oncoming storm.
- Title:
- Why should you read “Dune” by Frank Herbert? - Dan Kwartler
- Speaker:
- Dan Kwartler
- Description:
-
View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-should-you-read-dune-by-frank-herbert-dan-kwartler
A mother and son trek across an endless desert. Wearing special suits to dissipate heat and recycle moisture, the travelers aren’t worried about dying of thirst. Their fears are much greater. Soon, the sound of the desert is drowned out by a hissing: a mound of sand 400 meters long bursts from the desert floor and races towards them. This is the world of “Dune.” Dan Kwartler dives into the epic story.
Lesson by Dan Kwartler, directed by Recircle.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TED-Ed
- Duration:
- 04:47
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